American Bully is known for its iconic muscular build, but it is also famous for its various coat colors.
American Bullies come in all standard and rare colors, one of which is the Tri-color American Bully. So, today we will discuss everything there is to know about the Tri-color American Bullies and why it is so unique.
What is a Tri-Colored American Bully?
A Tri-colored American Bully has three colors on its coat instead of the usual two or one color. The tricolor pattern exhibits three clear and separate colors, one base color, tan and white.
The base color can be any color of American Bully, including blue, chocolate, and lilac. It is worth mentioning that the base color may be affected by the intensity or dilution gene, which decides the amount of red pigment production.
Tri-color Bullies come in all classes of the American Bully breed, and they often have names like Chocolate Tri, Black Tri, Blue Tri, and Lilac Tri.
The patterns include creeping tan, ghost tan, trindle, tri merle, and piebald Tri. Despite so much variety, TriColor American Bullies are rare and have become highly popular among dog owners.
Are Tri-Color Bullies Rare?
Tricolor American Bullies are rare for one main reason. Most breeders avoided breeding tricolored dogs for several generations due to the misunderstanding that they are mixed breeds leading many people to view them as undesirable.
Breeders will try to avoid producing mixed-breed bullies; this caution is understandable as buyers value purebred bullies with unique bloodlines, among other characteristics.
In addition, breeders emphasized game qualities rather than the coat colors of the originally bully ancestors, the American Pitbull Terrier and the American Staffordshire.
Breeders not producing a Tricolor Pitbull and Staffordshire resulted in a recessive tricolor gene in the American Bullies. As a result, the American Bully breed rarely breeds tricolor bullies, even if breeders attempt to breed them on purpose.
You should also note that this coat pattern has no associated health problems.
What Causes the Tricolor Coat Pattern?
To understand what induces the tricolor coat pattern in American Bullies, you must first comprehend the factors determining Bully coat colors. Two pigmentation types give dogs their color. A pigment is what gives every single hair its color.
Four different types of genes give Tri-color Bullies their colors, and most of them are recessive. The most common and dominant color gene is Black, and most dilution genes obtain different shades by affecting this gene.
Dominant genes form most base colors, whereas the two color patches mostly result from recessive genes.
Recessive genes lay hidden unless a pair of them is available in a puppy, and no dominant genes are suppressing them.
Physical Characteristics of Tri-Color Bullies
Tri-American Bullies are easily differentiable if you know the basic characteristics of the breed. The key difference of the Tri Bully is the coat pattern, but let’s talk about other physical characteristics.
Color Combinations
The most outstanding feature of Tricolored American Bullies is their markings. As mentioned before, they come in many color combinations.
They have three distinct colors that are properly distributed all over their body. They mostly have tan and white patches with a solid base color that comes in black, blue, chocolate, and lilac.
Sizes of Tricolor Bullies
Tri-colored American Bullies come in all sizes of American Bully breeds. The sizes include:
XL Bully: XL Bullies are the biggest official size of the American Bully breed. They grow up from 20 to 24 inches and weigh 80 to 130 pounds.
Standard Bully: A standard bully can grow between 17 to 20 inches and weigh 60 to 80 pounds.
Classic Bully: Classic Bullies are the same as standard but a little lighter. They can grow the same height as the standard of 17 to 20 inches but weigh less at 50 to 75 pounds.
Pocket Bully: Pocket is the smallest official size of American Bullies that stand tall, no less than 14 and no more than 17 inches. They can weigh 20 to 40 pounds.
Micro Bully: Micro Bullies are smaller than Pocket Bullies and not recognized by any kennel club. They grow from 11 to 13 inches and weigh 20 to 50 pounds. They are more compact than pocket bullies.
Extreme Bully: Extreme Bullies can be of any height because they are considered extreme only based on their build. They have too many muscles on their head, neck, and shoulder, giving them a bigger look than their respective Pocket, Micro, Standard, and XL sizes.
XXL Bully: As the name suggests, XXL Bully is bigger than the XL. Any Bully taller than 24 inches and weighing 135 pounds to 200 pounds.
The Temperament of Tri-Color Bullies
A Tri-Color American Bully is a curious, energetic, and playful dog like any American Bully. It loves interacting with humans and other dogs.
The Tri Bully will always respect you and try his best to please you. It is an intelligent, fearless, and cheerful guard dog as it has inherited loyalty and stability from the Pitbull and friendly and social behavior from the American Staffordshire.
This rare Bully dog is renowned for its outstanding tolerance for children and strong urge to please its owners. The breed is confident, gracious, and non-aggressive. Tricolored Bullies are known for their bravery and well-rounded intelligence.
American Bully breed is for experienced owners that will pay attention to the fact that every dog has a natural urge to form a pack. The breed needs a consistent, confident, and firm but calm owner.
As a responsible owner, you shall take good care and train your Tri colored American Bully adequately so that it will not develop aggressive behavior. American Bullies will only develop aggression if neglected and not socialized from an early age.
What Colors Can a Tri-Color Bully Have?
Tri-colored American Bullies can have many different color patterns, of which we will go through the specifics below.
1. Choco Tri Bully
The chocolate color is often called liver, a dilution of Black pigment. A Chocolate Tri Bully has a base solid Chocolate color with tan and white patches. Choco Tri Bullies are less common than Black Tri Bully.
2. Black Tri Bully
Black is the most common Tri color among American Bullies. The black pigment gene is dominant in American Bullies, and all it needs is the additional recessive tan gene to become a Tri Colored American Bully.
Black Tri Bullies have jet-black coats with tan markings on their chest, muzzle, and legs.
3. Blue Tri Bully
The blue color in American Bullies results from a dilution gene that can affect the Black coat and turn it into Silver-Gray, giving the effect of Blue. When this gene is present along with the tan gene, you get a Blue Tri Bully.
Blue Tri Bullies are rare, even among Tri Bullies, and are highly desirable because of their uniqueness. The Blue Tri Color Bully has a light coat with white markings on its chest, muzzle, and legs.
4. Lilac Tri Bully
The Lilac coat works the same as the Blue Tri Bully; the only difference is that it dilutes the chocolate/ liver Bully gene. This combination results from two rare occurrences, making this a unique combination.
Breeders often refer to lilac as champagne Tri Bully, and it has a light beige coat with white markings on its chest, muzzle, and legs.
5. Brindle Tri Bully (Trindle)
Another rare combination is Brindle Tri Bully, this time combining the Brindle stripes pattern with fragments of Tan from Tri-Color.
The brindle Tri Bully has a black and brown coat with white markings on his chest, muzzle, and legs.
6. Piebald Tri Bully
Another rare combination, and it displays differently from other Tri variants. Rather than a tuxedo-style pattern, there will be spots with two colors.
The Piebald Tri Color Bully has a white coat with black and brown spots. This pattern is common in other breeds but rare in American Bullies.
7. Ghost Tan Tri Bully
A recessive gene passed down to American Bullies causes them to have a ghost tan coat in which the tri-color points are diluted in color. Ghost tan happens due to the Black allele not being present.
In Ghost Tri Bullies, the tan points are almost invisible.
8. Merle Tri Bully
Merle Bullies have a distinct pattern in which patches of their fur are mottled and different in color. Due to this ability to be present on any color of the Bully, it effectively adds a third color to anywhere there would typically be two.
The Tri Merle Bully is not an actual Tri-color, so ABKC does not recognize Merle as it is associated with various health issues. Due to these additional health concerns, responsible breeders do not breed for this to occur.
Caring for Tri-Color American Bullies
Taking care of a Tri-colored American Bully is the same as other American Bullies as they are only different in color and nothing else.
Here’s how you should take care of your Tri-Color American Bully.
Dietary Needs
Tri-Color American Bullys are incredibly muscly dogs, which means they need a high-protein diet. It’s important to start this kind of diet from a young age because this is when they begin developing their adult muscle structure.
The primary food should also be fat-rich, and the best option is dry kibbles made specifically for American Bullys, which you can augment with wet food.
When looking for kibble, make sure the first three ingredients are meats. It should also have a content of 30% and a fat content of 20% minimum.
When they’re puppies, getting as much food into them as possible is best. You should feed your Tri-Colored American Bully Puppy three times daily or leave food down for him all day. The diet will change as they age; after 12 months, they should start eating an adult diet.
Health Care Keep Up
Overall, the American Bully is healthy, but this doesn’t mean you should neglect to care for your Tri-Colored American Bully.
At the minimum, you should treat them for worms and fleas and ensure they have all the necessary vaccinations while they’re still a puppy.
You can start deworming your Tro-color American Bully puppy at about four months when you must treat them for heartworm and tapeworm. Also You should repeat this treatment as often as the vet recommends, once every month.
You can ask your veterinarian to check your dog for worms if you need more clarification. Flea treatment can be started at about the same time and may be done monthly in the spring and summer seasons and then once every three months in fall and winter.
While fleas aren’t a major health problem, they can lead to skin conditions and are incredibly irritating if they infest your home. I recommend giving Tri Bully puppies calcium supplements to build strong bones.
Vitamin supplements are also a good idea while they’re young, particularly when they get their vaccinations. Vaccinations usually start around five weeks of age, and some before the dog can go outside.
Your Tri color American Bully will have five, done at three-week intervals. The vet will give them a 7-way shot that covers them for all common diseases.
However, you should also ensure they get a rabies vaccine at six months, lasting for three years. Rabies is a dangerous and fatal disease, and it’s the last thing you need if you want a happy and healthy dog.
Exercise
Exercise is essential for any dog, but it’s essential when they’re puppies. Tri-Colored American Bully puppies should get daily exercise once they’ve had their vaccinations.
Approximately 30 minutes of daily exercise is the least you can do because the American Bully is energetic. Suppose you can get out for two or three daily walks; that would be even better.
Just make sure you watch out for signs of overheating, as American Bullys are pretty susceptible to this. Your Bully will likely want to play fetch, and starting this while he is a puppy is an excellent way to build up trust and subordination.
Please ensure the toys you buy are large enough not to be swallowed, and plan for when they’re adults too. You should also look for very sturdy toys because American Bullys love to chew.
Swimming is an excellent exercise for American Bullys, as they can burn off plenty of energy without getting hot. If you want a muscular and strong adult Bully, teach him to swim while he is a puppy.
You may need to get an inflatable harness or something for buoyancy, but once they know what they’re doing, they’ll love it.
Obedience Training
One of the best ways to take care of your American Bully is to teach him obedience training. It should be started as early as possible, probably around eight weeks.
Starting obedience training this early will teach them how to behave around other dogs and is an ideal way of deterring anti-social behaviors from developing.
The American Bully is quite intelligent and can learn many commands. Because of the breed’s loyalty, you should use treats during training and praise.
Take your puppy to a training class to interact with other dogs and people. Doing so will prepare it for later life, ensuring it grows into a friendly and sociable adult.
How Much Does a Tri-Color Bully Puppy Cost?
The amount you can expect to pay for a Tri-Color Puppy varies dependent on several factors. These include size, build, bloodline, and the colors making up the Tri pattern.
The below table gives a rough indication of the amounts you could expect to pay from an established breeder.
| Tri-Color Variant | Puppy Price |
| Black Tri Bully | $4,000 – $6,000 |
| Choco Tri Bully | $5,000 – $7,000 |
| Blue Tri Bully | $5,000 – $7,000 |
| Lilac Tri Bully | $8,000 – $12,000 |
| Brindle Tri Bully | $6,000 – $8,000 |
| Piebald Tri Bully | $6,000 – $8,000 |
| Ghost Tri Bully | $10,000 – $15,000 |
Given above is just a rough estimation, and the final price could vary depending on which breeder you buy from and what size you buy.
How Big Are Tri-Color Bullies?
American Bullies come in four recognized sizes and a few unrecognized. All of the varying sizes can display the Tri-colors summarized in this article. The four recognized sizes by the ABKC (American Bully Kennel Club) are.
| Size of Bully | Height | Weight |
| Pocket Bully | 14 – 17 Inches | 20 – 50 Pounds |
| Classic Bully | 17 – 20 Inches | 50 – 60 Pounds |
| Standard Bully | 17 – 20 Inches | 50 – 75 Pounds |
| XL Bully | 20 – 24 Inches | 80 – 130 Pounds |
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Is a Tri-Color Bully Worth?
A tri-color Bully can be worth very differently based on the pattern of the colors, size, bloodline, and breeder. On average, a Tri-color Bully will cost you a minimum of $5000, which can go as high as $15,000.
What is the Rarest Tri-Color Bully?
Tri-colored Bully is a rare breed; Blue, Lilac, and Ghost tan Tri Bullies are even rarer in this breed. These colors can fetch a price of up to $15,000.
What Makes a Dog a Tri-Color?
The recessive gene (at ), which is responsible for producing a tan pigment in American Bullies, is the cause of Tri-Colored Bullies. An American Bully must have three colors on its coat to be considered a tri-colored Bully.
What Breed is a Tri-Color?
Several breeds are Tri-colored; they include
- Panda Shepherd
- Entlebucher Mountain Dog
- Bernese Mountain Dog
- Beagle
- Basset Hound
- Bull Terrier
- Pit Bull
- Pomeranian
- Papillon
- Greater Swiss Mountain Dog
- Australian Shepherd
There are many more than exhibit tri-colors, including the American Bully, but it is a rare site to find a Tri-Colored American Bully.
Conclusion
The Tri-Color Bullies are beautiful and majestic dogs with no genetic defects. They are the same as any American Bully dog with the same physical characteristics and temperament.
Tri Bullies are highly desirable due to the colors that make them unique. They may be expensive, but they make up for it in their personality, and I assure you, you will not regret getting one.
